Barcelona Architecture

The Romanesque & Gothic Barcelona Architecture can be witnessed in the oldest part of Barcelona. While Roman architecture is characterised by rounded arches supported by piers, heavy masonry walls, and barrel vaults. Gothic architecture includes pointed arches, thinner walls supported by flying buttresses and stained-glass windows. The best place to witness evidence of Gothic architecture in Barcelona is the Gothic Quarter. While visiting this area, several landmarks like the Church of Santa Maria del Pi, Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia, Basilica of La Mercè, Plaça del Rei, and Plaça Reial can be witnessed. To take a look at the Romanesque architecture, one can visit the Museu d'Història de Barcelona (MUHBA), Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp and Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC).

Barcelona, being the capital of Catalonia, was the centre of the Modernist movement, which occurred from 1888 to 1910. Hence, evidence of this Barcelona Architecture is very much evident in the city. A structure with Catalan Modernism architecture will be built with materials such as glass, ceramics and mosaic tiles. Apart from this, they will have dynamic shapes rather than fixed ones, with more curves than straight lines. Buildings with this architecture will have decoration in rich shapes with floral and other natural features. Examples of Catalan Modernism architecture include buildings such as La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà, Casa Vicens, and the Crypt of Colonia Güell.

One of the most iconic architectural marvels of Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi. The work of this Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia began more than a century ago in 1882 and its building is still under construction with a completion date of 2026. The three-dimensional structures of the ruled surface of the building include helicoids, parabolic arcs, hyperboloids, and conoids. With the help of an intricate design that enabled a sharper and smaller structure, the temple’s lighting quality and ambience have been improved. In spite of being incomplete, the Nativity façade and Crypt of La Sagrada Familia have been recognised by the UNESCO as “Works of Antoni Gaudí” World Heritage site.

Another “Works of Antoni Gaudí” World Heritage site, Park Güell, was built in 1900. While building this park, Gaudi brought fantasy to life and invented a mosaic work called Trencadis, an architectural form, where miniature fragments of broken ceramic are used. Gaudi gave the place the look of a natural park by including sculptures to motifs that can blend smoothly with nature. In his entire design of the structure, he allowed flexibility that helped him show his inspiration for nature. He also included animals such as lions, snakes, salamanders, and octopuses combining them at different intersections. Flowers were also presented through various designs throughout the park.

Casa Milà, another one of Gaudi’s architectural marvels, was constructed between 1905 and 1912. The building is also known as “La Pedrera,” meaning ‘The Quarry’. Casa Mila had several innovative elements which are characteristic of all works by Gaudi. The front side of the building is self-supporting and there is an underground car parking with a separate set of stairs for the owners and their servants. Also, he included lifts on every second floor to increase interaction between the people living in the building. Hence, people had to be in touch with one another on different levels.

The Casa Vicens is one of the first buildings that reflected Catalan Modernism architecture and was part of the Modernist movement in Catalonia and Europe. Built between 1883 and 1885, this was the first significant project done by Antoni Gaudí, and it became the inspiration for all his subsequent architectural construction. The property is located in the old district of Gràcia, which was once a separate town with narrow streets, a dense population and a tight structure, still in evidence. The Casa Vicens with its Catalan Modernism architecture, still stands out in the midst of the old town. 

Between 1908 and 1914, Gaudi was assigned to construct a sizable church at Colonia Güell. However, after the construction of only the Crypt and entrance, the project could not be completed as there was an economic downfall at that time, leading to a financial crunch. The Crypt of Colonia Güell is still there and is considered among Gaudi’s architectural marvels, which has earned its place in UNESCO’s list of “Work of Gaudi” World Heritage sites. The inside of the Crypt has Gaudi’s marks in the form of catenary arches, hyperbolic paraboloid walls, along intricate stonework on the brick roof.

Casa Batlló is one of Europe's unique residential buildings which is considered to be one of Gaudi’s best. The building construction started in 1904 and was completed by 1906. The building showcases Gaudi’s poetic and artistic designs through the elements of revolutionary experiments in light and architectural form, playful facade and marine-world inspiration. The inside of the building has deep-sea blue tiles and a staircase that will take you to the main saloon on the second floor, overlooking Passeig de Gràcia. The ceiling of the saloon has a sunlike chandelier in the middle with swirls twisting into a vortex surrounding it. The room has doors, windows, and skylights designed using coloured glass and waves of wood. Similar themes can be witnessed in other rooms along with the covered terrace as well.